NAACP Offers Condolences and Prayers to Haitian People, Urges all Americans to Join Coordinated Effort to Assist in Providing Relief

LARGEST NEED RIGHT NOW IS FINANCIAL;
NAACP SETS UP A FUND TO ACCEPT AND DISTRIBUTE DONATIONS TO HELP
THOSE IN NEED

The earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, devastated
the already struggling island nation. Like most people of the
world, the heartfelt thoughts and prayers of the NAACP go out to
all those living in Haiti and with family, friends or loved ones
who may have been in Haiti when the earthquake struck.

The NAACP greatly appreciates the swift and decisive efforts of
President Obama and his Administration on behalf of all citizens of
the United States to help the people of Haiti including the $100
million already allocated to assist in the rescue and recovery
effort. As such, we have been working closely with the White
House to ensure a coordinated response that is as effective as
possible.

Due to the extreme cost and difficulty in transporting items to
Haiti, we are not encouraging units to collect and send goods,
clothing, etc. for relief efforts at this point. However, in
the immediate term the NAACP will focus on providing financial
assistance for disaster relief through national fund raising
efforts. In the longer-term, we will continue to promote the
need to provide support and long-term development and
democracy-building aid to Haiti.

The NAACP is collecting funds for Haitian earthquake
relief. Online donations can be made on the NAACP website at
www.naacp.org. Checks and
money orders should be made out to “NAACP4Haiti” and sent to our
national headquarters at 4805 Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD
21215.

For those who are concerned about Americans currently in Haiti,
or with the fate of Haitian-American citizens, the U.S. State
Department has set up a toll free number: 1-888-407-4747.

For more information about the coordinated U.S. response to the
catastrophe, people can go to www.whitehouse.gov. If you or
your organization can provide services to the people of Haiti, you
should contact the Center for International Disaster Information at
(703) 276-1914.